Ministry Issued 8,000 Licences for Sales and Draws

TDT | Manama 

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain issued more than 8,000 licences for promotions, sales and commercial draws in 2025 as the Ministry of Industry and Commerce kept a closer watch on shop offers and prize campaigns.

The ministry granted about 2,590 licences for promotional campaigns, 5,150 for sales and 500 for commercial draws, according to Fatima Ahli, senior consumer protection specialist at the ministry.

Ahli said the Consumer Protection Directorate requires shops and firms to seek approval before they run any campaign or advertise price cuts, with checks aimed at fake discounts, misleading adverts and unfair trade practices.

She said the process is handled online through the ministry's website or the national portal.

Traders must give details of the campaign, the length of the offer and price lists showing goods before and after the discount, along with the papers needed for approval.

The ministry then follows up through planned and surprise field visits to check that shops are abiding by the rules, she said. Legal and administrative steps are taken against breaches, including sham discounts and misleading claims.

Commercial draws face further checks. Ahli said each draw is held under the watch of an approved internal auditor, an outside auditor acting as a neutral third party, representatives from the Consumer Protection Directorate and other public bodies.

Ahli said consumer protection is a shared duty between public bodies, traders and shoppers, adding that clearer rules help keep the market fair for both buyers and sellers.